Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based story. I do not own One Piece. Only the Original Characters and any Original Plots are mine.
This story is inspired by One Piece: Monster of the Straw Hats by KP360.
Chapter One : Romance Dawn
Wealth, Fame, Power.
Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates, attained this and everything else the world had to offer. He achieved this by doing what no one had done before: he conquered the Grand Line, sailing from Reverse Mountain to the final island, Laugh Tale. By doing this, he secured his legacy in the world.
But, as with anything, his time in this world was not permanent. Now, on the island of Loguetown in the East Blue where he had been born, the World Government had decreed he would be executed for his crimes. Little did they know of what Roger had planned.
Loguetown, East Blue
The town was silent, which might have been considered odd given that it was packed with triple the number of people it usually had, probably more, if it wasn't for one certain fact.
Gold Roger was here. And he was set to be executed.
Most hadn't believed it when they first heard the news. The King of the Pirates, largely considered to be the most powerful man in the world, had been captured? The Navy had actually done it?
But now, no one could deny it any longer. For he was right there. As he walked by, his hands in shackles, a line of guards on either side, the people could feel the aura emanating from him. He was dressed in his long red coat with gold shoulder pads and a white ascot. Even captured, they knew this was no mere man, but someone who had walked where few had gone before, who had done what others hadn't even dreamed of. And all the while, as he walked, he still had that signature smile on his face, as if he couldn't imagine anywhere else he wanted to be. Like it was a victory parade.
People were muttering, the crowd spilling out of the surrounding windows and down the side streets and all the way up on either side of main street. And in the central plaza, the place was packed to the brim. A veritable wall of guards blocked the street, keeping the people back with raised spears, not risking anything. The air was hot and thick, beating down on everyone but barely anyone noticed, so fixated on the event taking place.
Projection transponder snails were also set up, recording the historic event and broadcasting it live to the world so everyone would see it. And all watched in awe as the man made his way to the chopping block.
One young boy with gray hair managed to push his way through the crowd, making it to the front just as Roger was passing by. The boy grinned at watching him, the greatest pirate alive, walk towards his execution. A symbol of how crime would never be tolerated.
Roger turned, spotting the boy, and grinned as well before looking forward once more. He walked into the plaza through the path the guards had made for him, seeing the stairs leading to the platform right ahead. As he walked up the first step, he could sense certain presences in the plaza. Old friends and foes alike who had come to bear witness. The King of Pirates smirked. Whatever they thought was going to happen, he knew they would be surprised.
Destiny. Fate. Dreams. As long as there are people who seek freedom in this life, these things shall not vanish from the Earth. It was a something he'd said many times over, something he firmly believed in. And hopefully, after today, those things would become even stronger across the world. If that was the kind of legacy he left behind, than he could die satisfied.
He walked up the final steps and arrived at the top. The two guards posted up there instantly stood at attention, as if he was their commanding officer and not the man they were going to kill.
"Do you have any final words to say?" One of them asked.
Yes, there were. But the time wasn't right yet. So instead, Roger turned with a fierce grin on his face, startling the guard, and held up his shackles. "Would you mind taking these off?" He asked pleasantly. "They're beginning to chafe me quite a bit. Please?"
The guard stood back at attention as he replied. "I can't do that."
"Where am I going to run?" Roger asked him with a barely held-in laugh. Not like he could run for long anyway. Even if he wasn't going to be executed, his time was numbered in days, weeks if he was lucky, thanks to that illness. "That's all right. I guess I'm on my own for this one."
He walked the final few paces before turning and sitting cross-legged on the platform. He knew the top brass at Navy Headquarters were getting a kick out of this, the King of the Pirates in such a position. They were probably watching through all those snails. Well, he would wipe those smiles in a minute.
"Alright, let's get this over with." Roger said, smile still in place.
The two guards crossed their spears once before raising them overhead and crossing them with a clanging noise again, the ritual begun. Below, all the townspeople gasped, looking with unbelieving eyes. Half had expected some sort of escape attempt or something, but no. He was just sitting there, happy, as if he were about to be served tea instead of an execution.
And then, one man, who couldn't hold it in any longer, suddenly shouted out. "Hey! Pirate King!"
The guards and Roger looked up, their eyes finding the man below. Everyone else turned to him as well, almost gaping at him.
"Tell us where the hell you've hidden all of your treasure. Is it in the Grand Line or someplace else? You found it, didn't you?"
"You there!" One guard yelled. "Shut up!"
"The legendary treasure! The One Piece!"
Those two words echoed across the entire plaza and practically the world, sending shivers down the spines of all those present. For years they had heard rumors of the One Piece, the infamous treasure of Gold Roger that helped make him the King of the Pirates. And only in their wildest dreams could they think to own it. But now…
All eyes were on the man for a moment before they shifted back up to Roger, whose ever-present smile seemed to have grown larger. He chuckled for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing loudly. This was it. The moment where it all came together. He just hoped it would work.
A few seconds after he was done, there was utter silence as everyone stared at him with wide eyes, waiting with bated breath. Little did they know how powerful his next words would be.
"You want my treasure?" He asked.
"Just shut your mouth!" The guard snapped, him and his companion lifting their spears into position.
"You can have it!" Roger continued, ignoring them. "I left everything I gathered in one place." As he talked, the guards raised their spears, ready to strike. "Now you just have to find it!"
"Execute!" The guard said at the same time and the two guards stabbed Roger in the chest just as he finished talking.
It was a good life, Roger thought to himself. In his prime, he could have taken these spears without much problem. But now, his body weak and ravaged by disease, he could already feel himself slipping away. My only regret is I won't be able to see my son. I hope you have a good life too, one filled with joy and friends and family, like mine.
At first, everyone stared in shock, not able to say anything at all. And then, a great cheer rose from the crowd, even reaching Roger as he died. In his last second of consciousness, he knew. He had succeeded. His legacy was secure.
The guards looked in shock, first at the cheering crowd, and then at Roger who smiled even in death, his blood now pooling across the platform. Many cheered because the Pirate King was dead. But plenty others cheered, knowing that the treasure was out there. And some cheered at Roger's audacity.
In the days that followed, every newspaper spread Roger's final words so that soon, there was no one who hadn't heard them. To every corner of the North, South, East, and West Blue and across the Grand Line, the word spread. Men and women of all ages suddenly felt an urge inside, an awakening. A longing for adventure. And so, they set out to sea to find the One Piece and claim Roger's treasure for their own.
The World Government and Marines were in an uproar. The public execution they had set to serve as an example and a warning to other pirates instead became the opening ceremony to a new era.
The Great Pirate Era.
The East Blue Sea
23 Years Later
Ryota kept his orange eyes trained at the sea as he stood on the upper deck of the Lady Mary, leaning against the wooden railing.
It had been three days since he had boarded the cruise ship which was responsible for providing transportation and comfort for citizens across the East Blue. He was starting to regret having done so. Not because he had a problem with boats; if he did, he would not survive for long in this world where travelling across the oceans was the only means of travel. No, it was something else. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something that was making his skin crawl and his gut twist. His instincts were trying to tell him something, and he had not survived this long by not trusting them.
He pulled his gaze away from the sea and down to the main deck where a couple of sailors were trying to grab and reel in a large barrel floating in the sea with a rope and a hook. Ryota raised an eyebrow at the strange sight. Numerous thoughts fluttered through his head as he wondered just what could possibly be inside it. Booze? Treasure? A person? No, the last one was way too bizarre. It had to be one of the other two, he mused.
"Ugh, I missed again!" One of the sailors, a tanned and robust man, complained as the rope he had thrown escaped the target. A growl left his lips when his friend laughed.
"Three strikes and you're out, Jeff!"
"Wow buddy, you are terrible at this!" A third man chortled from up on the crows's nest before something caught his eye and his features paled.
"FINALLY!" The tanned robust sailor exclaimed as he managed to latch the hook onto the floating barrel. He grunted as he attempted to pull it up but to no avail. "Damn this thing weighs a ton! Hey, can somebody help me out?"
His friend, a lanky sailor, heeded his call and rushed over to help him pull the barrel out of the sea. The two grunted and groaned as they pulled the rope with all their might and finally, by some miracle, they managed to bring it onto the ship. The lanky sailor huffed as he and his friend settled the barrel on the decks before placing a hand on it.
"What do you think is inside it?" He asked the robust man next to him. A greedy grin overtook his features. "My money is on booze! Hehehe~! Dibs on the first drink!"
Before the robust and tanned man could say anything in response, the man in the crow's nest screamed in fright. "Ship off the starboard bow! And they're flying a Jolly Roger! We've got a Pirate ship in pursuit!"
Ryota cursed under his breath while the two sailors below immediately paled and scurried to their positions, the barrel all but forgotten. Explosions rocked the grand ship as cannonballs hit it's side, shattering the railings, decks and hull, sending splinters and pieces of wood flying everywhere. The orange-eyed boy grabbed the railing to steady himself as the ship shook before he let go and ran across the deck.
Have I finally been discovered, he wondered as he pushed past panicking passengers. Had his father finally managed to track him down? No, it couldn't be. The man would never send a random pirate crew to apprehend him; he would have sent his own men. Whatever the case, it would be better for him if he laid low to not draw attention to himself.
It felt like forever before the ruckus finally died down. While the rest of the pirates began unloading their stolen goods and treasures onto their Pirate Ship, a young lavender haired boy with glasses, a white shirt and black pants slowly opened the door to the cellar of the ship and stepped in. He scanned the room with frightened eyes before sighing.
"Thank god, there's no one here." He spoke to himself in a somewhat squeaky voice. He walked further into the room, his eyes darting left and right before they finally landed on the large barrel laying overturned in a corner. "W-wow, that's a large barrel..."
Knowing he had to take the barrel off the ship along with the other goods, the boy walked over to the large object, placed his hands on the wooden surface and began to roll it out of the room. Before he could get out of the door however, three nasty looking pirates showed up. Their presence made the boy flinch back in fear.
"Hey there, Koby!" One of them said with a savage grin on his face. "What are you doing here, you coward? Hiding?"
"N-no! I was just bringing this barrel over with the other stuff..." The lavender haired boy now revealed to be named Koby stuttered out fearfully. His entire body was trembling violently like a leaf in the wind. The pirates glanced at the barrel Koby was holding and their grins widened.
"Hehehe~! Don't worry, brat, we'll lighten the load for ya!" A fat pirate declared as he took a step forwards with his one of his other buddies. "I was just feeling an itch of a thirst."
"Ehhh?! But what if Lady Alvida finds out?" The first pirate who had stopped Koby questioned, an underlying tone of fear in his voice.
"She'll never find out." The fat pirate reassured his friend, before turning to look at the short lavender haired boy. "We're the only ones here. Just Koby and the three of us know about this."
"I guess you're right." The first pirate relented.
"And you ain't seen nothin', right Koby?" The fat pirate questioned as he glared menacingly down at the boy.
"Right! I-I ain't seen nothin'!" Koby was all too quick to agree. "P-please don't hit me..."
Unbeknownst to the three men and the boy, on the other side of the cellar, Ryota was crouched behind a table in a position that made sure he would not be seen. The orange-eyed boy watched them carefully. The three men definitely looked like the typical definition of pirates though the boy seemed different. He was too unsure, too innocent to be a pirate. Perhaps he was a new recruit or maybe even a prisoner.
SMASH!
Ryota forced back his startled cry while the pirates and Koby all jumped back in shock as the top of the barrel suddenly smashed open and a black-haired boy of around seventeen years of age burst out. He was wearing a red vest and a pair of blue shorts but the thing about him that stood out most was the straw hat placed firmly on his head.
"YEAHHH! I SLEPT GREAT!" The straw hat wearing boy cheered, his voice loud enough for everyone in the nearby vicinity to hear. Upon bursting out of the barrel, he pumped both his fists into the air in a longward stretch. This had the unfortunate effect of knocking out a man standing too close to the object, sending him sprawling onto the deck. The black haired boy didn't seem to notice as he looked around before his eyes finally fell on his audience. "…Who're you?"
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" The two pirates exclaimed in outrage, pointing at the newcomer.
The straw hat wearing boy simply continued to stare blankly at them before his gaze fell down onto the pirate he had unknowingly sent into blissful unconsciousness. "Your friend will catch a cold if he sleeps there, ya know?"
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO PUT HIM THERE!"
The black haired boy ignored them and turned to Koby. "Hey kid, I'm hungry. Where's the grub?"
"You..." The pirates growled as they pulled out their blades from their sheaths. "Are you ignoring us even when you know we're pirates?! How dare you!"
Ryota didn't know what came over but as soon as he saw the pirates steady their swords and then lunge at the straw hat boy, he found himself compelled to move, to protect the newcomer. He didn't want to just sit around and watch innocents die in front of him. Just as the sharp edges of the blades were about to cut down the straw hat boy, Ryota suddenly appeared in front of them and with his right hand forming tightened fist, he struck the blades and shattered them with one blow.
"That was a little rude, don't you think?" Ryota asked rhetorically as the fallen pieces of steel fell to the floor. The pirates gaped at him for a few seconds before they screamed frightfully and grabbed their unconscious partner off the floor before comically scurrying out of the kitchen. Ryota sniggered as he watched them run off before he turned to look at the other two individuals who remained.
"W-who are you guys?" Koby stuttered fearfully.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Nice to meet ya!" The straw hat boy introduced himself with a cheerful grin before he turned to the orange-eyed boy with some interest. "I don't know who this guy is though."
"I'm the guy who just saved your life." Ryota replied coolly. A look of shock passed over his face for a second and disappeared just as quick. D? This kid was a D? That was certainly a surprise. And that name, Monkey. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place where from.
Luffy blinked twice before he crossed his arms behind his head and grinned. "Oh. Thanks then, but I could have handled them. You just got to them before I could."
Ryota stared at him for a few moments. He didn't really seem like he was all that strong but something in the orange-eyed boy told him that the other kid was telling the truth. "I see. Apologies then." He then turned to Koby. "By the way, my name is Ryota."
Koby blinked, still in shock before his senses came hurtling back into him. "You two have to get out of here! Those guys will bring other pirates with them when they come back!"
"I don't care about that. I'm hungry." Luffy said while grinning like a loon.
"Those morons couldn't kill me even if they tried." Ryota stated firmly. He had faced worse than a couple of pirate lackeys; they were nothing to him. "Still, leaving would probably be in my best interest."
The straw hat boy hummed. "Ok, but I'm gonna eat."
"How can you be so carefree?!" Koby screamed, his knees shaking. " There are still more of them up on the deck!"
Luffy, however, wasn't listening. He had started sniffing around and had caught a particular scent in the air. Grinning, he started making his way towards it. Koby tugged on his arm in an attempt to get him to listen while Ryota watched him go with an uncertain glint in his eyes. The longer he stayed in the straw hat boy's presence, the more he started to sense something about him. Something strange. Something that kept him rooted on the spot instead of leaving like he said he would.
"Aren't you going to help me?" Koby asked Ryota who just shrugged in response.
"Why? If he wants to eat, he should eat. I'm not gonna stop him."
"Ugh…no…wait…wait!" Koby grunted some more as Luffy pushed through a door. Unfortunately, he swung it back hard and it ended up smacking into the bespectacled boy's head and made him cry out.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Luffy cheered, seeing all the crates and bags of food stored inside. "It's a gold mine. Food, food, food, food, food!"
Ryota hummed as he walked over to him. "Might as well grab a snack while I'm here. You never know when your next meal will be."
"Exactly! See, this guy gets it." The straw hat boy grinned before he skipped into the storage room with Ryota following behind him. After a few more minutes of trying and failing to convince them to leave, Koby eventually gave up and followed the two boys into the pantry, sitting down next to them.
"My name is Koby." The lavender haired boy introduced himself. "You guys said you're names were Luffy-san and Ryota-san, right?"
"Bingo." Ryota said before he bit into a soft and tantalizing loaf of bread, happily chewing away.
"Oi, is this a Pirate Ship?" Luffy asked as tossed an apple core into a steadily growing pile before grabbing another.
"No, it's a cruise ship being raided by the Pirate Captain, Iron Mace Alvida." Koby said, sighing to himself.
"The Lady Mary." Ryota added. "That's the name of the ship."
"I don't care about that. What I want to know if there are any boats on board," Luffy said, still shoveling food into his mouth.
"There are, I checked. Unless the pirates haven't wrecked them in the attack, there should be two." The orange-eyed boy told him. It had been one of the first things he noted when boarding this ship. It was important for him to always have an escape route ready. He never knew when he might need to make a run for it.
"Perfect! I was actually caught up in a whirlpool a few hours back and my boat was swallowed up."
The lavender haired boy felt his eyes widen as his brain registered what Luffy had said. "You mean those giant whirlpools that can swallow massive galleons whole?! No one can survive them!"
"Shishishishi! It almost got me but we managed to beat it!" Luffy let out a triumphant laugh, scratching the back of his head. Koby sweat dropped at hearing the odd tale and chalked it up to possible delusions wrought from starvation. "So, are you two pirates or passengers?"
"I'm just a passenger here and I want off this ship as much as you. I don't want to get mixed up with these pirates." Ryota said as he finished off his loaf of bread and then grabbed another. Luffy hummed in understanding before turning to Koby to hear his answer.
Koby looked downcast for a few seconds before furiously shaking his head. "No. I actually got on a boat one day thinking it was a fishing boat but it turns out it was actually travelling to a Pirate Ship! That was two years ago and ever since then, I've been a slave for the pirates out of fear that I would be killed!"
"...You're an idiot." Luffy stated rather bluntly.
"Don't say it like that!" Koby shouted as he wept comically.
"Sorry but he's right...I'm pretty sure there's an obvious difference." Ryota pointed out. His words only served to drive Koby deeper into his depressed state. "You say you've been on this ship for two years. Why haven't you tried to escape?"
The orange-eyed man suddenly winced when Koby let out a shrill screech of fear. "N-no way! No way! No way! Just the thought of Alvida finding me frightens me and makes me weak in the knees-" The lavender haired boy was cut off by a swift punch to the head courtesy of Luffy. He held his skull as a bright red bump sprung from the top of it. "Ow! Why did you do that?"
"Because you were being a wimp." Luffy said with a laugh. "I hate people like you."
"Come on, Luffy, he's just a kid. Give him a break." Ryota chided as he placed a finger on Koby's bump and pushed it back into his skull. "But he does have a point, Koby. You should at least try to escape. If you don't then you'll live in fear of these pirates for the rest of your life."
Funny. Here I am telling someone else not to do what I myself am doing. The only difference is that instead of hiding, I'm running.
Koby thought over what Luffy and Ryota said and as much as he hated to admit, they had a pretty good point. "You both are right. I'm nothing but a coward...if I was just a bit braver, I would have set out in a barrel or something. There's always been something I've wanted to do..." The lavender haired boy looked up at the two men. "Luffy-san, Ryota-san. What compelled you both to set sail out onto the sea?"
"Personal reasons." The orange-eyed boy said vaguely. "Just…stuff I had to get away from. Wanted a new life, that's all."
"Oh…that's cool. And what about you, Luffy-san?"
The straw hat boy's eyes suddenly began to sparkle. "I want to be the Pirate King!"
…
Of all the things he could have said, that was the last thing Ryota expected to hear. He gaped at the straw hat boy who was grinning without a care in the world. Did this kid honestly think he had what it took to stand at the top of this golden age of pirates?
"WHAT?!" Koby gasped in tremendous shock. "The Pirate King is supposed to be a person who has attained everything there is to attain in the world! Are you telling me you're looking for Gold Roger's treasure?! The legendary One Piece?! Do you want to die or something? All the pirates on the Grand Line are looking for that treasure!"
"Well, so am I." Luffy replied, not caring about all the other pirates.
"Impossible, impossible, impossible!" Koby shrieked loudly, crossing his arms in an X formation. "Absolutely impossible! To stand at the apex of this Great Pirate Era is absolutely impossible!"
POW! Suddenly Luffy pounded his fist into Koby's head for a second time and knocked him into the ground. Kyodo sent a look of pity at the boy but made no move to help him.
"Ow! Why'd you me again?!" Koby demanded in a squeaky voice.
"You were rambling." Luffy told him blankly.
"Oh...well, that's okay. I'm used to it." Koby said, remembering all the times he was hit by Alvida.
"So you're a pirate, huh?" Ryota asked as he leaned forwards, looking at Luffy. "I don't see your crew."
Luffy laughed. "That's because I don't have one yet. But I am looking for them. I'm also going to need to find a ship, a really good one!"
"You claim you're going to become the next Pirate King and yet you have no ship, no crew, and you haven't even entered the Grand Line yet?"
"Yep."
The orange-eyed boy sighed. "I don't know whether you're just dumb or delusional. You do realize what other pirates are out there right? Pirates who can level cities and destroy mountains. Pirates who could trample armies or scorch seas. There are thousands of pirates out there now, each one vying for that title. And you think you're going to be the one to make it to the top?"
"Yep."
"Huh. I think maybe you're actually dumb and delusional."
Luffy plucked the straw hat off his head and stared into it. "It's not about whether I can or not. I'm going to do it because I want to. I've decided long ago that I'm going to become the Pirate King, so if I die fighting for my dream, its fine with me."
Ryota felt his heart stop at those words and gaped at Luffy with wide eyes filled with shock and a hint of awe. The conviction in his eyes, in his words, it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. This straw hat boy was prepared to walk headfirst into the most deadliest era without a hint of fear on his face. Whether it was bravery or stupidity, the orange-eyed boy didn't know. But for some reason, he felt a warm feeling pass through his entire body, filling it up.
All his life, his father had been the one to make all his choices for him and the one time he decided to choose for himself had still been influenced his father's presence. But the straw hat boy…he had no such obstacles in his path. He just decided to set sail and become a pirate because he wanted to.
So what do I want?
"Alright!" Luffy exclaimed. "Now that my belly's full, I'm gonna go get me a brand new boat."
"Straw hat."
The words were spoken softly but clearly enough that there was no mistaking their tone. Both Koby and Luffy turned to Ryota as he stood up, facing them with a dead serious look on his face.
"Answer me this…" The orange-eyed boy continued. "…why? Why do you want to become the Pirate King? For wealth? For power? To rule over all the other pirates? To gain more infamy than Gold Roger himself?"
Luffy stared at him for a second before laughing, startling Ryota. "Nah, I don't care about all that. I want to be Pirate King because the Pirate King is the man with the most freedom in the world."
Ryota's eyes went as wide as a pair of dinner plates. That word. Freedom. Yes, that's what he wanted. More than anything else. To be free from his past, free from his father's towering shadow and reach. He just wanted to be free from it all, to live his own life. Like Luffy was doing.
'One day, I'm gonna visit them all! You'll see!' The passionate and joyous voice of a child echoed in his headspace. 'And then, I'll find their greatest warriors and learn from them and fight them. I'll become the greatest warrior in the world. That way, I can keep everyone I love safe.'
Memories of a time long since forgotten played in his mind. Memories of an ambition he had forced himself to let go. As a child, he had followed the exploits of the greatest pirates, the greatest warriors in the land. Roger, Whitebeard, Mihawk, Shanks, Shiki, and so many more. He had wanted to be like them. To be a great fighter. To be the best there ever was. To become the Strongest in the World. That had been his dream. It had all faded when he went on the run all those years ago. But now…
To see the world. To become the Strongest. To set sail and live a life of adventure. He had thought Luffy dumb and delusional but now Ryota was starting to see him in a new light. He wasn't at all like all those other pirates. He wanted the same thing for completely different reasons. He just wanted to live his life the way he wanted and he figured that this was the best way to do that.
So, if Ryota wanted to do the same, shouldn't he do the same?
"Alright, now for that boat. You know, they might even give me one if I ask nice enough. Maybe they're generous people." Luffy said thoughtfully.
Behind them, Koby remained where he was, lost in his own thoughts. Luffy's words, his intent, were now creating ideas and hopes he hadn't known he'd had. Swallowing thickly, he mustered up the courage to speak his next words.
"Do you...do you think I can do it too? If I'm prepared to die for it?" Koby asked the straw hat boy nervously. Luffy turned to look at the boy, raising an eyebrow in question. "Do you think...I could join the Navy?"
"The Navy?" Luffy asked in confusion.
"I know it'll make us enemies..." Koby muttered before instantly shooting up to his feet. "Catching bad guys is my dream! It's been my dream ever since I was little!" Tears began to well up in his eyes. "Do you think I can do it?!"
"How should I know?" Luffy spoke in unison, shrugging his shoulders.
Koby grit his teeth and clenched his fists in determination. "I have to at least try. That's what you told me, Ryota-san. I'd rather die trying to get out of here and join the marines than stay here as a chore boy for the rest of my life! And then I'll be able to catch bad guys like Alvida!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the ceiling above broke apart and a heavy object fell in. Koby felt his heart become cold as a familiar voice spoke up.
"Who are you going to catch exactly, Koby?" A deep female voice said as the dust cleared away, revealing an obese and ugly woman. A massive iron mace was held tightly in her grip.
"AHHHHHH!" Koby let loose a terrified scream as the obese woman sent him an ugly glare before turning her attention to the two young men.
"So these are the bounty hunters you morons mentioned, eh? Neither of them look like Roronoa Zoro." The obese woman grunted before shifting her beady black eyes back onto the cowering lavender haired boy. "I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself, Koby. Who is the most beautiful woman of all on these seas?"
Koby shuddered and whimpered as he looked into the cold and hard glare of the female pirate. He knew what would happen to him if he said she wasn't. "O-of course that would be-"
"Who's the fat lady?" Luffy asked bluntly.
Ryota narrowed his eyes, studying the strange, obese creature. He recognized her as Iron Mace Alvida from a wanted poster he had seen a while back. She had a bounty of only five million beri which was respectable by East Blue standards, but otherwise not at all impressive. "She's the Captain of the Iron Mace Pirates, the folks who are raiding the cruise ship."
"Oh." The straw hat boy nodded in understanding. "So this is the pirate who captured Koby. Huh, I thought for sure she was a talking whale or something."
Everyone present in the room dropped their jaws to the ground as they stared blankly at Luffy for the audacity of their words. Ryota, on the other hand, blinked before he burst out with laughter, something which seemed to vex the pirates.
"You damn brats! I'm going to clobber you!" Alvida roared, shaking with rage. The female Pirate Captain raised her iron mace and swung it down. Both Luffy and Ryota swiftly jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the club. The straw hat wearing boy landed in front of a cowering Koby and grabbed him before springing up to the top deck, closely followed by the orange-eyed boy.
"Looks like we've got a welcoming party, Luffy." Ryota said as he eyes the pirates on the deck. "How many do you want to take?"
"I kind of want all of them but I'll settle for half."
"Sounds good to me."
The pirates, after getting over their shock, growled and rushed at the two of them with their swords drawn. They were all grinning as if they were expecting an easy victory. What they got was a beat down instead.
"Gomu Gomu no...Rocket!" Luffy shouted as he stretched his arms back, grabbing the mast tightly before releasing his grip and shooting off like a missile towards the group of pirates. Screams erupted as they were all blown away by the sheer force of the straw hat boy's attack.
A Devil Fruit, huh? This kid is full of surprises, Ryota thought with a grin before he took on a bare-fisted martial arts stance and jumped into the fray as well. He began striking at the pirates with bone crushing punches and kicks, aiming to people out directly. Snaps and cries rang throughout the deck as his blows shattered bones, with some of them being so great in strength, that they knocked some pirates clean overboard.
In a matter of minutes, all the pirates lay defeated on the deck of the grand ship. Ryota straightened his body while Luffy turned to him with a bright grin.
"You're crazy strong, Ryota!" The straw hat boy's eyes sparkled as a thought suddenly hit him. "You know what, you should join my crew!"
Ryota blinked at the offer but before he could say anything, Koby – who had up until now been standing on the sidelines – spoke, completely in awe of their feats of tremendous strength. "Luffy-san...Kyodo-san...just what in the world are you two?"
"Me? I'm a rubber man." Luffy stated as he stretched his right cheek to unnatural lengths.
"And I am just really good at fighting." Ryota replied, though in his mind he was still thinking about the straw hat boy's offer to join his crew.
"I see..." A voice spoke up and the young men turned to see Alvida approaching them with an ugly scowl plastered on her fat face. "...Straw Hat, you are Devil Fruit eater, aren't you?"
"Yeah! I ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi!" Luffy replied with a grin.
"Heh..." Alvida grunted as she shouldered her iron mace. "...I had heard rumors but to think that they actually exist...you two seem pretty skilled. Are you bounty hunters?"
"Nope! We're pirates!" Luffy answered and Alvida cackled.
Ryota sweat dropped. "Uh, I haven't agreed to join your crew yet."
The straw hat boy shrugged. "I don't care. I've already decided that I want you as my First Mate."
"That's not exactly for you to decide." The orange-eyed boy bit back but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
"Pirates?! Only you two?! What a laugh?! Do you boys realize who you're up against?" The female Pirate lifted the iron mace off her shoulder and pointed it at the lavender haired boy. "Koby! Educate these fools on who I am!"
Koby stared at Alvida in fear as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He opened his mouth to praise the woman who had imprisoned him for two years before the words of Luffy and Ryota echoed in his mind. He clenched his fist and grit his teeth before glaring ahead at the obese Pirate Captain and screamed at the top of his lungs: "YOU ARE THE UGLIEST, CRAGGED, OLD HAG ON THIS AND EVERY SEA!"
Alvida stood in shock after hearing what was shouted by the chore boy of her crew before her face darkened in rage. Meanwhile, Luffy held his stomach and began laughing uncontrollably while Ryota smirked. The cowardly boy had just dared to reach out for his dream. And if he could do it, then so could Ryota.
"What…did you just say?" Alvida whispered vehemently, veins bulging to life on her face.
"All the injustices I had to face on this damn ship…and all the innocent people that suffered…all because I wasn't brave enough or strong enough to beat you!" Tears fell from Koby's eyes but he didn't stop speaking. "But no more! I'm not going to accept this anymore! I'm getting out of this ship, I'm going to join the Navy! I'm going to become a Marine! And then I'm gonna beat up pirates! Mean, old, ugly pirates like you and stop the injustice all pirates like you have brought on this world!"
"Do you even know what you are saying?!" Alvida screamed as her rage skyrocketed to heights she had never imagined.
"I do! I…I'm gonna do what I want to do! And when I do, I'm gonna catch your lousy ass!" Koby screamed back at her with a ferocity he had never shown before.
Alvida finally reached her boiling point and raised her iron mace, ready to bring it crashing down on the lavender haired boy. "THAT'S IT! YOU'VE JUST SIGNED YOUR DEATH SENTENCE, YOU MAGGOT!"
Koby began to cry in fear but he didn't back down. He had said what he wanted to say and fought for his dream. He had no regrets whatsoever. The lavender haired boy shut his eyes and braced for the impact...but it never came. Koby creaked his eyes open slightly and gasped in shock as he saw Luffy standing in front of him with a grin. The mace had struck his head but appeared to have no effect.
"HOW?!" Alvida shrieked, taking a step back in shock. No one could survive her iron mace. No one.
"That didn't hurt a bit!" Luffy announced with a laugh. "'Cause my body is made out of rubber!"
Koby stared in shock as the straw hat wearing boy pulled back his arm and clenched his fist tightly. "Gomu Gomu no...Pistol!"
Luffy's arm suddenly shot forwards with great speed and his tightened fist smashed into Alvida's face. The female Pirate Captain was instantly knocked out by the force of the blow and her obese body went flying off into a distance.
"Gone, gone and...out!" Ryota commented as he watched Alvida's body soar through the sky. "Yeah, her landing is not going to be pretty."
"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed as he turned to face the other pirates who were just returning to consciousness. "Oi you guys! Give Koby a boat! He's going to join the Navy! So you guys keep your mouths shut and let him go!"
The pirates were only too quick to heed the straw hat boy's order and rushed to find a boat for Koby, Luffy and Ryota to sail on. Koby meanwhile stared in gratitude at the two people who had helped him and was about to say something before cannonballs hit the water beside them and rocked the cruise ship, making the three to wobble in place. The boat came to a stop and they looked up to see three Marine ships sailing towards them.
"Oh, perfect timing! You should go see 'em!" Luffy said to the small lavender haired boy. "But Ryota and I are pirates, so we have to get out of here fast!"
"Don't make decisions for me!" Ryota snapped at the straw hat boy but he nonetheless ran after him. If he got captured by the marines then it wouldn't take them long to figure out he was. Once they did, he doubted his treatment at their hands would be pleasant.
"Wait, I just can't join the Navy like this!" Koby yelled as he quickly sprinted after them. "They'll arrest me if they see me here!"
"Alright then! I guess you're coming with us for the time being, Koby!" Luffy exclaimed as he grabbed Ryota by the arm and the lavender haired boy by the scruff of his collar before jumping off the cruise ship and onto the much smaller boat. "Now let's get out of here!"
A few minutes later
Koby sat up and moved to look behind them, spotting the minuscule shape of the cruise liner a great distance away. There were no Marine Ships in sight either which made the lavender haired boy sigh in relief. "Looks like we managed to get away..."
"Ha, what fun!" Luffy sighed pleasantly, soaking in the sun and wind. This, to him, was the perfect life.
"I wouldn't exactly call it 'fun', but it was certainly interesting." Ryota said, keeping watch to make sure they weren't being followed.
"Um, Luffy-san?" Koby spoke up, addressing the straw hat wearing boy. "If you're aiming to find the One Piece then that means you're destination is the Grand Line, right?"
"Right!" Luffy agreed.
"That place is referred to as a Pirate's Graveyard, you know." The lavender haired boy told him, shuddering as the images of broken down and sunken ships filled with skeletons flashed through his head.
"That's why I need a strong crew by my side!" The straw hat wearing boy stated before falling into a thinking pose.
"Then you're already smarter than most other pirates." They both turned to look at Ryota who was still keeping an eye on the horizon. "Most pirate crews in the Grand Line have maybe one or two strong crewmembers, usually just the captain. If you're looking for strong crewmembers, you'll stand a better chance of lasting out there."
"You seem to know a lot about the Grand Line." Koby noted.
"Of course I do. I was born there."
Ryota had said it so casually that it took them a second to actually register his words. Then their jaws dropped simultaneously.
"You're from the Grand Line?" Koby gasped.
"Cool!" Luffy cheered, ecstatic. "You must have seen so many awesome pirates there! What's it like? Is it really as dangerous and awesome as people say?"
Ryota shrugged. "I don't really pay attention to what people say, but yeah, it's dangerous. You'll need a strong crew to survive. My father's a Pirate Captain there, a big one. And his crewmates are some of the toughest there are. And it's not just pirates like him but the weather, the currents, everything really. The Grand Line isn't for the faint of heart."
"Well good. Cause I plan to conquer it. And you're gonna help me."
"…Why?" Ryota asked after a few seconds of silence. Luffy looked at him in confusion so he decided to elaborate. "Why do you want me to join your crew? You don't even know me."
Luffy blinked before he grinned and crossed his arms behind his head. "Why does any of that matter? You think too much, you know that."
The orange-eyed boy blinked one, then twice, before he burst into laughter. He didn't know why but the situation he was in was kind of humorous. "And you're an idiot." He shook his head, before lifting his head and looking up at the sky. "When I was a kid, I always admired these warriors. Fighters like Whitebeard or Shanks or Mihawk. They were so cool in my eyes and I wanted to one day be as strong as them, no, stronger. But then…let's just say shit happened and I was forced to abandon my dream. And then I met you. When you talked about your dreams, you reminded me of mine. You reminded me that I still want that dream. That I still want to be the Strongest in the World."
"Then do it." Luffy stated firmly. "Join me and I'll help you be the Strongest! The Pirate King wouldn't want anything less on his crew."
Ryota chuckled. "No I guess he wouldn't." He leaned back, resting his head against the edge of the boat. "So…sailing the seas to achieve our goals against pirates probably ten times more powerful than us with little chance for success." He chuckled. "Sounds pretty dumb and delusional. And adventurous."
Luffy's eyes and grin widened. "Wait, does that mean…"
"Yeah." Ryota nodded, before he sat straight and smacked a fist against his chest, right where his heart was. "I, Ryota, do hereby vow to serve you, my Captain, as your First Mate."
"That seemed a bit much…" Koby deadpanned, but was smiling warmly, nonetheless.
"YAY!" The straw hat boy cried out and suddenly wrapped his arms around Ryota, pulling him into a hug. The orange-eyed boy grunted, not expecting this, but eventually he relented, hugging his new Captain a little in return. "Awesome, I've got my first crewmember!"
"There's one other thing that you should know, Captain." Ryota mentioned.
"Huh, what is it?" Luffy asked, releasing him.
The orange-eyed boy hesitated for a moment before he raised his arm. Luffy and Koby watched in confusion before the straw hat boy gasped when Ryota raised his arm and clenched his fist, a thin sheen of blue enveloping it.
"Ryota-san, you're a Devil Fruit eater as well?" Koby questioned in surprise. Ryota let his arm fall back to his side before nodding.
"Yeah…I ate the Jigoku-Jigoku no Mi, Model: Akaza, a Shi-Zoan type. I haven't really figured out all the semantics of it yet, but long-story short, it's made me really strong. My Devil Fruit also makes my senses more in tune with the natural world around me. My sense of smell, hearing, sight, taste and touch are all significantly greater than the normal persons."
"Right..." Koby nodded with understanding. "You called your Devil Fruit a Shi-Zoan type, right? I've read a book on Devil Fruits before but I've never heard of that particular class."
Ryota hummed before he sat down, leaning his back against the side of the boat. "That's understandable. The Shi-Zoan class of Devil Fruits are the rarest in the world, even more so than the Mythical Zoans. There are very few people out on these seas who have eaten them. Aside from myself, I only know of two other people who are Shi-Zoan eaters."
"AMAZING!" Luffy cheered delightfully. "I knew I was right to pick you as my First Mate! Now, that's one strong member down! Now I've got ten more to go!" The straw hat boy turned to look at the lavender-haired boy. "Oi, Koby! What do you know about that Pirate Hunter guy?"
The lavender haired boy stared at the Captain of the currently two-man crew in confusion. "You mean Roronoa Zoro? Last I heard, he had been captured by the marines. It was quite surprising to hear because he's very strong! There are even some rumors circulating that he's a demon disguised in human skin!"
"I've heard of him as well," Ryota mentioned. "They call him a master swordsman, the best in the East Blue."
"Shishishi! He sounds like he'd make a wonderful crew member!" Luffy cheered before turning to the lavender haired boy. "Koby, take us to him!"
"But he might kill you!" Koby cried out in horror.
Ryota chuckled. "Don't know if you've noticed Koby, but we're pretty strong ourselves. Besides, who knows? Maybe he's a good guy."
"He was caught by the marines because he's bad!" Koby tried to get his newly acquired friends to change their minds once more. "You can't get him to join you! It's impossible, impossible, impossible, imp-"
BOINK!
"Why did you hit me again?!" Koby cried as he held his head, a third bump growing.
"Felt like it." Luffy said bluntly with a shrug.
Welcome to my One Piece Story featuring my Original Character, Ryota. My inspiration for Ryota came from a variety of different characters in anime whom I shall not name.
As I am sure a lot of you have already figured out from this chapter, Ryota will be the First Mate of the Straw Hat crew as I am sure you have seen many stories do before but he won't be stronger than Luffy and have a higher bounty than him. He also won't take any of the spot light from the canon characters and will have his own character development and chance to shine.
This story was thought up of after I read the story by KP360 called One Piece: Monster of the Straw Hat Pirates. I suggest you guys check it out cause its amazing and the lore is just phenomenal. After reading his story, I felt inspired and created a separate class of Zoan fruits called the Shi-Zoan. My OC, Ryota is an eater of one of these fruits as was revealed in this chapter. The Shi-Zoan he ate is called the Jigoku-Jigoku no Mi, Model: Akaza and it's powers will be revealed throughout the story.
There will also be major elements of Demon Slayer present in this book as the Shi-Zoan eaters I've created are based off of the Demons in said anime - specifically the 12 Demon Moons, though I have included a few original ideas as well. Honestly, I am really proud at how I've managed to mix the elements of both anime together and I hope you all will enjoy this concept. However, be noted that this isn't a crossover. No characters from Demon Slayer are going to be making appearances.
I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Please leave a favorite, click follow and drop a review. Reviews give me strength to keep writing so they would be highly appreciated. Constructive criticism is always welcome but blatant flamers will be ignored.
Thank you and Peace out!